The Dominion of New Haven
"The Whyteholders have honour. The Erdannians have money. Both worthless. Us? We have knowledge" - Archmage Cassius Starlight The Dominion of New Haven is an empire within the heart of Tyrrus. It is the smallest empire in Tyrrus, yet still incredibly powerful. The Dominion is a very magically-inclined nation, ruled by mages and dragons. The Archmages of New Haven are some of the most powerful magic users in the world. The Dominion is centred around the capital city of New Haven, and is the home of the New Havenites. History Geography The Dominion is nestled in a valley between the Sunset Mountains and the Dragoncrags. It extends to the edge of the Everwood to the south. The Dominion is a hilly landscape with the Wyrm river running through it. New Haven itself is built on a large hill adjacent to this river. Around New Haven, the landscape gets a little bit strange, where the stones have been affected by the magic of the Worldshaking. In some places, rocks float in mid-air. In the centre of New Haven itself, massive chunks of earth have ripped themselves from the ground and float in the sky. Nobody is quite sure exactly what caused this. Settlements Main Cities New Haven is the only actual city in the Dominion, and has supreme power over the other settlements in the region. Towns and Villages Bridgewater Crossing - A large town surrounding a major bridge crossing the Wyrm river. Fordington - the northernmost town in Tyrrus, built on the Wyrm. Goldhart - A town on the edge of the Everwood Homestone - A small farming town. Vigil - Guard outpost near Old Haven, with a small town adjacent. Ruins The Dominion sits in an ancient part of Tyrrus, and many old ruined castles dot the landscape. Old Haven - The original seat of Archmage power, now a dangerous ruin. Castle Sorrowsong - The last remains of the Kingdom of the Everwood Ravensroost - A fortified mansion that used to be the home of Raven Blackflame Blackmourne - The ancestral home of the Nightborne family, now abandoned. Politics "The New Havenites really do excel at sweeping things under the rug" - Grand Minister of Erdannia, Elizabeth Draycaster The Dragonqueen The Dominion of New Haven is devoted to Zythia, Dragonqueen of Arcane Magic. She is referred to as the supreme authority in the city, but rarely ever actually intervenes, trusting the decisions of her chosen champions. The Immortal Emperor Next in the hierarchy is the Immortal Emperor, Mirvalbadir; Supreme Ruler of the Dominion of New Haven, General of its armies, Lord of Dragons, Chosen of Zythia. Unbeknownst to the majority of the New Havenites, Mirvalbadir is actually a Royal Dragon taking the guise of a human. Mirvalbadir is one of Zythia's most trusted advisors, and so has been placed in charge of her nation. Mirvalbadir has the final say on all decisions and has dictator-like power in New Haven, but rarely uses it. The title "Immortal Emperor" is given because Mirvalbadir is one of a trio of leaders across Coryphiel with the title. The other two are Saa IV in Izero, and Zanadi Zheng in the Three Dynasties. The Supreme Magistrate of the Denizens; Que'Naroth, is also sometimes referred to as the "Immortal Emperor". These leaders work together for unknown reasons. His Everlastingness, the Immortal Emperor, Mirvalbadir is also super cool and the best boss in the world. Totally. Ha. - Archmage R. Nightwatch. Zythia's Court There are a few other Royal Dragons in New Haven, though Mirvalbadir has authority. These other dragons have no political power in New Haven, but are considered very important people and cannot be commanded by mere mortals, not even the Archmages. These dragons mostly use New Haven as a base of operations while they do things for Zythia all across Coryphiel. The Archmage Council The Archmages are the most powerful humans in New Haven, both politically and literally. They have studied magic all their lives and reached a level of power to become candidates for the highest position possible in the Dominion. Usually an Archmage begins as an apprentice to the previous Archmage. Each Archmage is considered the best in their field of magic. The Archmages make many of the mundane decisions of the Dominion; anything deemed not important enough for the Immortal Emperor, but too important for the aristocracy. This usually means decisions of alliances and trade, and bringing new technologies into the city. They can also veto any decisions made by lesser politicians. Archmage may take other relevant positions in city politics, such as becoming a Military General, or Head Magister at the Grand Academy. The Archmages are all political equals, and have complete authority in their area of magic. Positions in the Archmages Council are flexible, and if the Grand Magus determines that a new title is needed, then he can create it without argument. It does, however, require slightly more than knowledge to become an Archmage. The Grand Magus must determine whether a candidate has the necessary wisdom and the right motives, when he is choosing new Archmages. The current Archmage Council is as follows: Grand Magus The Grand Magus is equal to the Archmages politically, but acts as a direct link from them to the Immortal Emperor and to Zythia. Additionally, the Grand Magus's vote counts for more in the Council, and he is the one who chooses new Archmages. However, he does not have his own area of magic to exert authority over. The Grand Magus does not take apprentices. The current, and only, Grand Magus is an enigmatic figure known as Thaddeus Pureborn. Grand Magus Pureborn has held the position since the creation of the Dominion over fifty years ago. Here's to another fifty years! - Grand Magus T. Pureborn How did you get into my documents? - Archmage R. Nightwatch I'm everywhere - Grand Magus T. Pureborn Arch-Priest of Zythia The Arch-Priest of Zythia is the head of the draconic church in New Haven, Warden of the Dragonclaw, and has authority over the usages of Draconic magic in the Dominion. Currently holding this position is Valdaran Pureborn, a Pure-strain Arcane Dragonkin who may or may not be the son of the Grand Magus. I know I'm supposed to be keeper of secrets, but everyone knows this. - Archmage R. Nightwatch Shhhh - Grand Magus T. Pureborn Archmage of the Arcane The Archmage of the Arcane has authority over the usages of Arcane Magic within the Dominion. Currently holding this position is a Denizen by the name of Vak'Zaar, originally a high-ranking archivist in the Otherworld. His introduction to the council was part of an experiment to integrate more Denizens into human society. Archmage of Secrets The Archmage of Secrets has authority over the usages of Forbidden magic within the Dominion, and also is Warden of the Esoteric Archives, and head of the Order of Secretkeepers. Currently holding this position is a former Wayfarer mystic, Ravian Nightwatch. Ooh, who is this Ravian fellow? He sounds wonderful, and handsome! - Archmage R. Nightwatch Don't be an idiot Ravian. - Grand Magus T. Pureborn Archmage of Elements The Archmage of Elements has authority over the usages of Elemental magic within the Dominion. Currently holding this position is Reagan Knightsholme, one of the few people able to effectively wield all four elements. She has taken a position as General of the Dominion's Military. Arch-Druid The Arch-Druid makes decisions regarding the teaching of druidism in New Haven, and is considered Warden of the Everwood. The Arch-Druid must have more support than only that of the Grand Magus; they must have the support of the Druids of the Everwood too. Currently holding this position is Maria the Silver, a Half-Aelf and powerful druid, who only spends time in New Haven when a council meeting is called. Archmage of Stars The Archmage of Stars has authority over the usages of Astral magic within the Dominion, and is an agent of the Starlight Monastery. Currently holding this position is Kirina Starlight, who is also Head Magister of the Grand Academy. Archmage of Magitech A recent addition, the Archmage of Magitech has authority over the usages of Magitech in the Dominion. the current and only person who have this role is Melvyn Mightward, an inventive magitechnician who is also High Magister of Magitech at the Grand Academy. The Magocracy New Haven is a Magocracy; those with higher magical understanding are given greater political power. All of the aristocracy are powerful mages, but must of course also run aspects of the Dominion and its industry. This has created an unintentional class divide; those in higher positions are more likely to be able to send their children to learn magic, and those children will have more time to study if they don't have to world. The lower classes of New Haven have no knowledge of magic, and no way of achieving it. That being said; anyone with knowledge of magic could feasibly gain a significant position in the New Haven political structure. The Immortal Emperor pays little attention to the Magocracy, giving rise to infighting among the aristocrats. Many Archmages have gained their position by killing everyone above them. There are several powerful "clans" in the Magocracy who exert more influence than others. There are usually powerful families, but are often simply groupings of people who believe in a political or religious ideology; The Pureborn Brood The Grand Magus of New Haven, Thaddeus Pureborn, has had a lot of children over the years, resulting in his family being a large and powerful group. The Grand Magus is often seen as a holy figure due to his connection to Zythia and the Immortal Emperor, therefore each of his children are also considered to have sacred blood. Because of this, the Pureborn Brood are very religious, and influential within the church. The unofficial head of the clan is Valdaran Pureborn, Arch-Priest of Zythia. Though Valdaran is younger than many other members of the family, his status as a Pure-strain Dragonkin lends him greater authority in the highly religious group. House Vigil House Vigil are one of the most mysterious of the major houses of New Haven. It is said that they are loyal to the Eyes of Mirvalbadir, New Haven's Secret Service, and so other nobles are cautious around them. Nobody quite knows the full extent of House Vigil, and new family members seem to come from nowhere, or disappear without a trace. The head of House Vigil is an old woman named Ezressa Vigil. There are thousands of rumours circulating her, about who she is and what she can do. House Starlight The descendants of the legendary Cassius Starlight, House Starlight is incredibly influential and has connections to the Astral Monastery. The head of the House is Kirina Starlight, who is also Archmage of Stars and Head Magister at the Grand Academy. The Gallows Family A branch of the influential Gallows family has a place in New Haven. It mostly exists just to represent Telmont, but carries with it the influence of the legendary Cedric Gallows, one of the Saviours. House Knightsholme House Knightsholme is heavily connected to the military, and to training battlemages. The head of the family is Reagan Knightsholme. She is also Archmage of Elements, and a general of the Dominion's military. Though getting on in years, Reagan is a powerful mage, able to effectively wield all four elements. She also has a dragon companion which she rides into battle. The Everwood Assembly The Everwood Assembly is not a family, but a collection of venerated druids and keepers of the forest. It represents the interests of the Everwood, and acts as a link between the denizens of the Everwood and the politicians of New Haven. The head of this group is Maria the Silver, who is Arch-Druid and warden of the Everwood. The Otherworld Emissaries Many of the individuals of significance in New Haven are Denizens, or otherworldly creatures. This has given rise to such beings gathering together to form their own political force. The de-facto head of this faction is the creature "Cryptic", an ambassador sent by the Supreme Magistrate of the Otherworld; Que'Naroth. The Scholastic Syndicate A mysterious group, the Scholastic Syndicate represent an ideology of invention and progression at any cost. The syndicate is formed from prominent Magitechnicians, and academics from across New Haven, and are responsible for many of New Haven's mechanical wonders. They disagree with the Archmage of Magitech; Melvyn Mightward, over ethical issues. Magical Factions Within New Haven, there are many magical factions. Like most magical groups, these horde magical secrets to themselves, try to claim aspiring mages into their ranks, and have minor rivalries with each other. Their disagreements with each other are nothing compared to how much they hate other Tyrranean magic groups. The Grand Academy The Grand Academy is the centre of learning in New Haven, but is also a faction in its own right. The Grand Academy has a monopoly on providing recruits to the other magical factions and to the military, and keeps many magical secrets to themselves. The magisters of the Academy are some of the most powerful mages in the city, other than the Archmages. The Order of Secretkeepers The Order of Secretkeepers are users of forbidden magic, and are tasked with keeping this knowledge safe. They are the keepers of the Esoteric Archives, and directly controlled by the Archmage of Secrets The Dragon Devout The Dragon Devout are the religious faction of New Haven. However, this religion is based much less on faith and more on fear and respect. The Dragon Devout are the most loyal subjects of the Dragonqueen Zythia, and frequently witness their "god" in action. This group wield powerful draconic magic, and are able to tame drakes and wyverns. The Eyes of Mirvalbadir Whispered, rumoured, and secretive, the Eyes of Mirvalbadir are supposedly the secret service of New Haven. Each member is an anointed Warlock of Mirvalbadir, wielding a portion of that mighty dragon's arcane power. It is said that Mirvalbadir himself can see through their eyes, and occasionally take control of their minds. Military The military of the Dominion of New Haven is powerful, but small. One of the major reasons the Dominion has not taken over neighbouring territory is that their forces would then be stretched too thin. Nevertheless, they keep a strong military for defensive purposes. Vigilants New Haven's policing force and militia, the Vigilants, are elite city guards, specifically trained to deal with problems of a magical nature. Not all the vigilants are magic users, but all are trained with the knowledge of how to deal with magic users. The lowest members of the Vigilants are drafted from the citizens, and given extensive training. Those who prove themselves may become officers, but preference is given to magic users. The High Vigilants are the highest-ranking members of this force, and are exclusive chosen from people with Metamagic abilities. The Vigilants are lead by a military general. Vigilants are employed all across the Dominion as a guard force, but most are in New Haven. They are very rarely employed outside of the Dominion. A special order of Vigilants, the Wardens of Old Haven, specialise in protecting some of the assets that remain in Old Haven. This group are exclusive and isolated, and are based in Vigil, close to the ancient city. They protect the Esoteric Archives and some of what remains in the original Citadel. They occasionally serve as personal guard to members of the Order of Secretkeepers,. Vigilants mostly wear bright blue militaristic uniforms with a helmet and a long coat. The badge of the Vigilants depicts a dragon claw with an eye in the middle. The Wardens of Old Haven wear red instead, and many have hoods. Dragonriders The Dragon Devout of New Haven are able to tame wild dragonkind, and occasionally gain the services of an intelligent dragon. They usually gift these to the New Haven Dragonrider division. Most of the Dragonriders ride drakes or wyverns. Only the highest ranking are allowed to ride proper dragons, mostly because the dragons themselves are prideful. Riding a dragon, even a drake, is a prestigious honour. Therefore, most of the Dragonriders come from Magocratic families, and are well-trained fighters. Most of them can use magic, but the best magic users are usually drafted into the Battlemages instead. The Dragonriders wear armoured uniforms with helmets styled with draconic horns. Some wear dragonscale armour. Battlemages The elite magic users of New Haven stride into battle, launching powerful magic at their foes. These Battlemages usually have a precursory training in combat, but mostly focus on their magical power. Generals The Military generals of the New Haven military lead all the various regiments to the defense of the Dominion. They are usually chosen from the magocracy, but some are fully Archmages. The Immortal Emperor is the supreme general of the Dominion, and occasionally flies into battle in draconic form.